1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electronic tuning aids for use in tuning stringed musical instruments. More particularly, the invention relates to displays used on electronic tuning aids to provide a visual indication of necessary pitch adjustments to reach a desired musical note.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of electronic tuning aids have been disclosed in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,958,250 describes a musical instrument tuning apparatus having a control panel with 12 black and white keys corresponding to the notes of the chromatic musical scale displayed thereon. In operation, a cathode ray tube compares the frequency of a string to a calibrated predetermined frequency. The cathode ray tube display is utilized to determine when the two frequencies are coincident. The black and white keys on the control panel are push buttons which correspond to the notes of the chromatic musical scale. A player sounds a note on the instrument and depresses the corresponding button of the apparatus. The pitch is then adjusted by watching the cathode ray tube display.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,052, the pitch of a stringed instrument is compared with a known standard, and an output error signal is generated. An audio amplifier responsive to the output error signal drives a motor and gear train to automatically tension the string pin of the instrument until the error signal amplitude is reduced to a predetermined level.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,266 describes a musical tuning instrument utilizing digital techniques in which a visual display indicates whether a musical tone is higher or lower than a particular musical note. The actual tones are compared in frequency with reference frequencies and the comparison is indicated by a pattern on a light emitting diode display. The display consists of 16 LEDs formed in a circle. If a note sounded into a microphone is exactly 440 Hz, a stationary pattern of half the LEDs lit and the other half unlit will appear. If the note is low, the pattern on the display will rotate in one direction and if the note is high it will rotate in the opposite direction. The rate of rotation indicates how far off the note is from the reference signal.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,968,719, a display unit consisting of pairs of opposed light emitting diodes is arranged in a circle. When a note is in tune, one pair of lamps may be at or nearly at full brilliance, or two pairs may be partially lit. If there is a frequency deviation, the individual lamp pairs reach full brilliance in one of two sequences. If the note is sharp, then the lamps reach full brilliance in a clockwise sequence so the display appears to rotate clockwise. When a note is flat the sequence is reversed and the display appears to rotate counter clockwise. The rate at which the display appears to rotate indicates the magnitude of the deviation from the desired note.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,609 discloses a pitch analyzer in which pitch information is converted into appropriate display driving signals which are directed to a visual display in the form of a treble clef.
All of these patents involve attempts at solving a problem of providing a rapid and efficient means for assisting a musician to tune a stringed musical instrument. Tuning of a stringed instrument needs to be accurate and simple so that inordinate amounts of time are not required. In addition, it is desirable for a tuner display to be compact and visually attractive. Ability to see the display in various light conditions and to quickly recognize the magnitude of pitch deviations is desirable.
Applicant's U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/966,391, filed Oct. 26, 1992, discloses a chromatic tuner display having a number of light devices which provide a musician with various information regarding the tuning of a stringed musical instrument. For example, the display gives the musician information as to which musical note the pitch being played most closely approximates. Also, the display gives the musician information as to how closely the pitch being played approximates the desired pitch.
However, this tuning display has two minor drawbacks. First, the tuning display gives information as to the closeness of the played pitch to the desired pitch only to within 2 "cents." Typically, chromatic tuning devices indicate the variance from an exact pitch of a note in units of 100 cents, with 0 indicating exact pitch, and a maximum error of .+-.50 cents. Most people cannot discern a difference in pitch of less than about 2 or 3 cents. Therefore, tuning to within 2 or 3 cents is generally sufficient for most uses. However, for some uses, such as during recording, tuning to within 1 cent is desired and is not possible with the above device.
Second, since the above device has display elements corresponding to each note of the musical scale, a musician may inadvertently tune a string to an incorrect note for that string. Usually, guitar strings are tuned to "standard" open-fret notes. The "standard" open-fret notes for guitar strings are E, A, D, G, B, and E. The "standard" open-fret notes for bass guitar strings are E, A, D, and G. All other notes, including sharps and flats, can be called "non-standard" notes.
Since tuning guitar strings to non-standard notes may be desired at times, the above display desirably provides information allowing a musician to tune a string to any note of the musical scale (including standard and non-standard notes). Displaying the tuning of a non-standard note may be desired, for example, if the musician is purposefully tuning the open-fretted guitar strings to a non-standard tuning to play the guitar in a special key. Displaying the tuning of a non-standard note may also be desired if the musician is tuning a fretted string, rather than an open-fretted string. However, the ability to display the tuning of a non-standard note may also lead to the inadvertent tuning to an unintentionally non-standard note.
A musical may inadvertently tune a string to a non-standard note when standing distant from the display or in a darkened location. In making such an error, the musician might not be able to read the display clearly. For example, a musician might erroneously tune a guitar string to the note F rather than to the desired note E because the light devices for these two notes are located near each other on the display and are similar in appearance. Also, musicians often tune electric guitars while amplifiers connected to the guitars are turned off, making the visual indications of the played pitch given to the musician critical. Errors in tuning may thus occur using the above device since it does not indicate to the musician that the played note is a non-standard note.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an illuminated display for a chromatic tuner which is visually easy to interpret, and is compact.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a chromatic tuner display which can show a large number of increments of pitch variation with a relatively small number of light devices.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a chromatic tuner display which is color coded for rapid visual recognition, and which includes illuminated letters corresponding to the musical notes of a chromatic scale for easier use.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a chromatic tuner display which provides information allowing fine tuning of a string, which is simple for a musician to read, and
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a chromatic tuner display which provides a musician with an indication of whether a string is tuned to a pitch corresponding to a standard guitar note or a non-standard guitar note, which is simple for the musician to read, and which does not have a cluttered face.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description which follows, or may be learned by practice of the invention.